Draft:Manolis Varvounis
---- Studies Emmanouil Varvounis was born in 1966 on Samos, Greece, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He was subsequently a student of the History and Archaeology Department of the Philosophical School of the University of Athens and of the Theological School of the University of Athens. He specialized in Folklore and in 1991 received his doctorate in Folklore from the Department of Primary Education of the University of Athens, which he wrote under the supervision of Professor M. G. Merakles. The subject of his doctoral thesis was Folk Religion and Religious Behaviour of the Inhabitants of Samos. During the period 1996 – 1997 he did post-doctoral research at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Louvain – la – Neuve) in Belgium. Career Since 1992 Emanouil Varvounis has been lecturing in Folklore in the Department of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace. He was elected successively lecturer (1992), assistant professor (1998), tenured assistant professor (2002), associate professor (2004) and full professor (2012) in Folklore. He was also Vice-Chair of the Department (2010 – 2012, 2014 – 2015) and Chair (2016 – present). At the same time, he has taught at various times in the Department of Greek Language and Literature, in the Education Department and in the Department of Black Sea Language, Culture and Literature at the Democritus University. He has also taught on post-graduate programmes at the University of Athens, at the Panteion University and at the National Defence Academy. Since 2005, he has also taught at the “Free University” of the “Society of Friends of the People”, in Athens. Academic Work Emmanouil Varvounis is a member of many learned societies, both in Greece and abroad, such as the “Greek Folklore Society” (Athens), of which he is a Member of the managing committee, as well as Treasurer, of the “British Folklore Society” (London) and of the “American Folklore Society” (Washington). He has published numerous studies, both as stand-alone publications and in learned journals and collective volumes. Books and studies by him have been translated and published in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Serbian, Turkish, Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Arabic and Bulgarian. The list of his works includes 130 stand-alone volumes and about 1,400 academic publications, pertaining to Greek popular culture, Greek Orthodox tradition and the tradition of the Greek people. He works with the Lexikon der Byzantinistik (Holland) και Encyclopaedic Prosopographical Lexicon of Byzantine History and Civilization (Belgium), both academic publications of international standing. A large part of his academic publications concerns the history and folk culture of Samos. Others are studies of ecclesiastical history and art and of the history and monuments of Mount Athos. At the invitation of foreign universities and learned societies, he has given talks and lectures, both in Greece and Cyprus, and in Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg, Denmark, Sweden, Egypt, Russia, Serbia, Lithuania, Finland, Turkey, Georgia, Poland, Rumania, Australia, the USA and Bulgaria. Research and Academic Activities He was in charge of academic matters for the section for Samiot studies at the Samiot Foundation ‘Nikolaos Dimitriou’, and responsible for the publication of the academic journal ‘Samiot Studies’ / ‘Samiakes Meletes’(1992 – 2011) and is currently editor of the academic journal ‘Deltio Samiakon Spoudon’ (2012 - ), member of the publishing committee of the academic journal ‘Laografia’ (2007 - ), of the “Greek Folklore Society”, and of ‘Ekklesiastikos Faros’ (2008 - ), of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. He is also referee for many academic annual publications and periodicals, in Greece and abroad. He has been chairman and member of the managing and academic committees of many Greek and overseas conferences, director of the following series; Pilgrimages of Orthodoxy/Proskynimata tis Orthodoxias (2004 - ), published by Helandion, Greek Places and Cultures/Ellinikoi Topoi and Politismoi (2005 - ), published by Alithea, and Sources and Evidence For Patriarchate History (2007 - ), of the Patriarchate Library of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Administrative Work Emmanouil Varvounis has held, or holds, the following positions: Vice-Chair (2010 – 2016) and Chair, Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace (2016 - ). Member of Senate, (1997 – 1998, 2015 -), of Research Committee (2010 – 2013), of the Department of the Dean of the School of Classical Studies and Humanities (2015 - ) of the Democritus University of Thrace. Secretary, Prefectural Self-Administration of Samos Cultural Organization (OPONAS) (2008 – 2010), member of the board of directors, Komotini Centre for Folk Events (1995 – 2003), of the Special Synodical Committee for Ecclesiastical Art (2006 – 2009) and of the Special Synodical Committee for Cultural Identity, Holy Synod of the Church of Greece (2010 - ). Member, board of directors of the Brotherhood of the Offikialoi of the Ecumenical Throne ‘Panagia i Pammakaristos/The Most Blessed Virgin’ (2005 – 2008), Special Secretary to Supervision Committee of ‘The Parnassos Literary Society/F. S. Parnassos’ (2010 – 2011). Member, board of directors, “Karpathos Institute for Folk Culture” (2013 - ), Philosophical School, University of Athens and the Municipality of Karpathos. Member, board of directors, “Ecclesiastical Museum” of the Metropolitan of Samos and Ikaria (2011 - ). Member, board of directors, “Centre for Thracian Studies”, Komotini Cultural Group (1995 - ). Member, Metropolitan Council of the Holy Metropolis of Peristeri (2017 - ) and of the Episcopal Council of the Holy Diocese of Botswana, the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Director, “Centre for Ecclesiastical Historical and Cultural Studies”, Holy Metropolis and Samos and Ikaria (2013 - ). Member, board of directors (secretary), “Foundation for Pedagogical Studies and Applications” (2015 - ). Director, “Laboratory for Folklore and Social Anthropology”, School of Classical Studies and Humanities, Democritus University of Thrace (2015 - ). Member of the Co-ordinating Committee and of board of directors, “Academy of Folk Culture and Local History”, founded by the cultural body, ‘Magniton Kivotos’, Holy Metropolitan of Demetrias and Almyros (2017 - ). Distinctions In April 2007 the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodoros II, awarded him the title (offikion) of ‘Great Archon Keeper of the Archives’, of the Archiepiscopal Throne of Alexandria. In March 2008, he was made, through the laying on of hands by The Most Reverend Metropolitan of Peristeri Chrysostomos, Reader. In February 2011, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem Theophilos proclaimed him ‘Crossbearer of the Holly Sepulchre’. In March 2015, the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios honoured Emmanouil Varvounis with the title (offikion) of ‘Archon Protector of Letters of the Great and Holy Church of Christ’. He was made Doctor Laureatus of the “International Philo Byzantine Academy” of Valencia, Venezuela (2005). In 2006, he was awarded Pythagoras of Samos Prize, given by the “Samos Reserve Officer Association”, and in 2009, the Peace and Friendship Prize, conferred by the “N.G.O. Lysistrate”, for the totality of his research and his contribution to Greek folklore. In December 2010, he was awarded the “Academy of Athens” prize and in January 2011 he was awarded the Gold Medal for Arts and Sciences and in 2012 the Great Gold Cross of Honour by the “Österreichische Albert Schweitzer Gesellschaft”. In 2010, he was elected honorary member of the “Society of Euboean Studies”. He has also been awarded the titles of ‘Kentucky Colonel’, of the State of Kentucky, and of ‘Akansas Traveller’, of the State of Akansas, by the Governors of the states in question. In 2014, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters (LL. Doctorate – Doctor of Letters) by “Saint Stephen’s Theological College and Seminary, Harding University”. In 2015, he was made an Honorary Doctor of Theology (DD – Doctor of Divinity) of the “St. Seraphim School of Orthodox Theology”, North Carolina, U.S.A. In 2015, he received the ‘Great Prize’ of the “Foundation for Pedagogical Studies and Applications” for his foreign language academic work and for his contribution to the international promotion and study of Greek culture. He was made Corresponding Member (Accademico d’Onore) of the “Accademia Constantina”, Rome, in 2013 and Honorary Member (Accademico di Merito) of the “Accademia Bonifaciana”, Italy, in 2014, which also awarded him its gold medal for the whole of his academic work. He was made Academician of Honour, of the “Norman Academy” in 2014. He was also made Academic Corresponent a l’ estranger of the “Real Academia de Buenas Letras / Reial Academia de Bones Lletres”, Barcelona, in 2015. In 2016, he was Accademico d’ Onore of the “Real Academia Sancti Ambrosii Martyris” of Portugal. In 2013, he received a prize from the “Evthalia and Stavros Kalfiotis Foundation”, of Athens, for his body of work. He was made honorary member of the board of directors of the “Konstantinos and Maria Zimalis Foundation”, Samos, in 2014. This body also awarded him the ‘Epikouros prize for Arts and Letters’, for his contribution to knowledge and to the study of history and folklore of Samos in 2015. In the same year, he was awarded a gold medal by the “Comité des Récompenses de l’ Action Nationale pour la Promotion et le Dèvelopement des Services Bénévoles”, France. For his work in folklore, he has received various distinctions from the “Municipality of Samos Cultural Organization” (DOPONAS) (2013), from the “Brotherhood of Samians in Athens” (October, 2016), from the “Karpathos Institute for Folk Culture”, of the Philosophical School of the University of Athens (November, 2016), from the “Pythagoras Association of Samians of Northern Greece” (November, 2016), from the “Archive for Thracian Literature” of the Ethnological Museum of Thrace (2017) and from “American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association” (2017). He was made honorary member of the “Union der Schweizer und Heimkunde Griechen of Switzerland” in 2013 and in 2014 member of Accademico Benemerito of the “Istituto di Studi Storici Beato Pio IX”. The same year, 2014, he was also made a regular member (Accademico Ordinario) of the “Ponficial Accademia Tiberina” of Italy. In 2015, he was awarded the Capitolino Prize by the Rogger II University, in the state of Florida (U.S.A.). In the same year, 2015, he was made honorary member of the “Instituto di Cultura Universitaria e di Studi Superiori” of Accademia Tiberina, Rome, and Academician of the “International Academy of Social Sciences” (IASS) of the U.S.A. In 2017, he was made Member of the “Société royale des Médaillés et Décorés”, Belgium (2017). He was awarded gold medal by the “Asociación Histórica Guardia Civil” of Spain in 2016 and by Trakya Üniversitesi / Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü / Görsel Kültür Anabilim Dalı in Adrianopole, Turkey, in 2016. He also received the 15th “Giuseppe Sciacca International Prize” in 2017. He was also awarded an Honorary Professor by the Department of Classical and Modern Greek Language and Literature (Departamentul de Filologie Clasica şi Neogreacă) of the University of Bucharest, Romania, in 2017. In 2017, he received a gold medal from “Euroclassica: Fédération Européenne des Associations de Professeurs de Langues et de Civilisations Classiques” and a gold medal from the “Academia Homerica.” In the same year, he was made an Honorary Member of the “Municipality of Chios” and of the “Municipality of Oinoussai”. In 2017 he was made Knight of the “Order of the Belgian Cross” of Belgium and Honorary Research Fellow of the “Institute of Ethnography” of the “Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts”. In 2018, the “Asociación Histórica Guardia Civil”, of Spain, paid him the signal honour of awarding him the “Encomienda e Gran Cruz de Honor” for the whole of his academic work in the area of local history and folk culture. In the same year he was awarded the “Croix d’ Honneur palme d’ ore” and the “Grand Croix d’ Honneur de Services Bénévoles Civiques et Humanitaires of France”. In the same year, he was made an Honorary Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Furthermore, his academic, educational and social work has been honoured with numerous state and ecclesiastical medals, plaques and associated honorific events. References * Lexiko Neoellinikis Logotexnias. Prosopa-erga-revmata-ori. Athens 2007, ed. Pataki, p. 250 D. Anagnostopoulos * Verlag für Personenenzyklopädien AG. Berlin 2007, p. 46 * Archia Ellinikis Viografias, Viografiki Egyclopaidia tou Neoterou Ellinismou, B 1830-2010 1. Athens 2010 * Chari Patsi, Megali Egyclopaidia ths Neoellinikis Logotechnias. Apo to Vizantio mechri simera 24, Atrhens 2010, p. 180-181 * «Varvounis Manolis Ger.», Megali Orthodoxi Christianiki Egyclopaidia 3. Athens 2011, p. 521-522 * N.Tassiopoulos, Βοιωτοί δημιουργοί, συγγραφείς – ποιητές 3. Από το 1931 έως τις ημέρες μας. Ιστορικά βοιωτικά μελετήματα. Athens 2016, p. 445-447. * Minas Al. Alexiadis, «Ο καθηγητής Μ. Γ. Βαρβούνης και η προσφορά του στην έρευνα της θρησκευτικής λαογραφίας», Δωδεκάνησος. Επίσημον Δελτίον των εν Δωδεκανήσω Επαρχιών του Οικουμενικού Θρόνου 7: 13 (2015), p. 461-490 * Adam. Koumioutou, «Αναφορά στην προσωπικότητα και το έργο του Καθηγητή Μαν. Γερ. Βαρβούνη», Ikariaka 112 (2015), p. 40-42. * Ar. Doulaveras, «Ο Καθηγητής Μανόλης Γ. Βαρβούνης και το έργο του», Pariana 143 (2016), p. 381-387. Manolis Varvounis